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Should plans to charter flights to Antarctica go ahead?

02:00 Thu Nov 26 2009

MSN NZ staff

DC-10 engine wreckage (Antarctica New Zealand Collection)

Latest Stories

Businessman Mike Pero has come under attack for announcing plans to charter a plane to fly people to Antarctica days before the 30th anniversary of the Erebus crash.

PHOTOS: 30th anniversary of the Erebus crash

Mr Pero said he ran the idea to take friends and family of the victims of the flight disaster, in which 257 passengers and crew died, past Air New Zealand and Prime Minister John Key who both gave their nod of approval.

But the airline has since said Mr Pero's plan to charter the flight in January was "opportunistic", according to the New Zealand Herald.

Mr Pero said he was "deeply disappointed and hurt" and was "totally bewildered" by Air NZ's comments.

"Somewhere in the airline something has been misconstrued," he said.

Mr Pero said the prime minister sent him a text saying in principle the idea would work and "would be great if it did".

Air NZ will take a limited number of family members on a memorial flight to Antarctica this Saturday on board a United States Air Force C-17 cargo plane.

Victims' families were upset when the airline's plans were revealed, as only five representatives were able to be included, with names drawn from a ballot.

Mr Pero has said his intentions were good and has offered to pay any net proceeds to Air NZ's own charity, Koru Care.

Tickets will cost between $1400 and $8600, depending on seating preferences.

What do think about Mike Pero’s plans to charter a flight to take family members of those killed in the Eerebus disaster to Antarctica?

User comments

I like it, Good on you Mr Pero.

except the people who's family were in that crash... how many peopl ewould go there? if people did..planing charters there is the perfect way to stuff up the enviroment even more.. and melt more ice. not smart

Yes bring it on!!! The Antarctic ozone hole needs feeding with strataspheric Jet exhaust. Perhaps Air New Zealand could market it's own brand of sun block?

Peace and Science were the objectives of the Antartic Treaty...Not scenic flights for a minority. Tourism should be banned totally before this place is ruined.

So what if Mike ends up with positive publicity. I believe he genuinely went into this with compassion for people who have been badly let down by our 'national airline' making the very first pathetic gesture in 30 years. Are they miffed because he was considering chartering Qantas aircraft? What about the government? We were in Bali during the bombing. A year later, the government paid for my wife and I to fly to Bali in business class with Phil Goff to attend the memorial service. In thirty years, why has no one recognised relatives with a gesture of a flight paid for by either Air NZ or the government? DO NOT FORGET TAXPAYERS BAILED OUT AIR NZ WITH A BILLION DOLLARS TEN YEARS AGO. Mike merely provided an opportunity for those who wish to visit the site of this disaster, which no one else has bothered to do in 30 years. The price is the same as any long-haul flight. No one can expect Mike to bankroll a charter, about $1m, I am guessing he is going guarantor, risking his own cash.

Let me see.... 30 years ago Air NZ flew one of its aircraft full of passengers to one of the most dangerous place on the globe and it was lost. Now some believe the airline's current management should fly another aircraft full of passengers into exactly the same danger zone. Am I missing something?

Good on him. What a compassionate thing for him to arrange. Sounds like sour grapes on Air New Zealand's part. I hope he goes ahead and does it.

I dont think it should be a profit making venture.I dont think Mike Pero has thought this one out properly.He would be thought a lot better of if he had genuine feelings about the victims and families and used some of his wealth and subsidised the cost.I would think a lot more of him if he did that.

Yeah right, Mike Pero was willing to arrange such purely fro the good of the people. He's a very smart entreprenuer and businessman and the fact that there is a Chareted Tour group verifies such. Granted Air NZ should have arranged similar for all immediate family mebers, as it was their flight and personnel involved with the disaster. And their reaction to Mike Pero's proposal, suggests they feel agrieved that an entreprenuer & charter group plans to arrange a flight that accomodates "the people that have been grieving" far better than their proposal. They should be appalled by their own actions, at the time, since then and now. Still, as Mike set out, it's all good publicity for him. MJP

Good on Mike Pero. How many seats were offered to family members by Air New Zealand? Six? Some really ridiculously low number anyway, which is just typical. Air New Zealand is trying to make this all look fantastic, but really it is just too little too late.